Linux expected to outship Windows in 2009

[ronnielsen1]

We may see a world at the end of next year where Linux ships on almost every notebook computer regardless of whether it is loaded with Windows. This in addition to the huge potential of the netbook, mobile internet device and mobile Linux market can mean huge and immediate inroads for a Linux desktop, albeit not in the form most people had predicted many years ago when the first “year of the Linux desktop” was declared.

http://www.linux-foundation.org/weblogs/jzemlin/2008/10/29/linux-to-ship-on-more-desktops-than-windows/


Jim Zemlin, director of the Linux Foundation, as posited that Linux will outship Windows on the desktop next year, thanks to the many fast-booting Linux environments increasingly bundled with PCs (http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS9108274259.html?kc=rss#). Writes Zemlin, "We may see a world at the end of next year where Linux ships on almost every notebook computer (http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS9108274259.html?kc=rss#) regardless of whether it is loaded with Windows."

http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS9108274259.html?kc=rss

[SunnyRabbiera]

yeh the netbook is our ticket in people

[Johnsie]

I'm not sure this is good for the consumer. Linux is great for us techies, but there's alot of mainstream software that wont run on Linux. Alot of the Linux 'equivilent' software packages are ok but many of them aren't pretty enough yet.

[SunnyRabbiera]

I'm not sure this is good for the consumer. Linux is great for us techies, but there's alot of mainstream software that wont run on Linux. Alot of the Linux 'equivilent' software packages are ok but many of them aren't pretty enough yet.

well it will be good for the consumer in the long run, already there are many companies looking to linux as a alternative to the hard to work with conditions of microsoft right now so there is oppertunity that what linux needs to get on top might already be there when linux hits big.

And what do you mean by "pretty"? come on I think a lot of linux apps look great.

[Paqman]

yeh the netbook is our ticket in people

If only they'd start shipping them with good distros! Dell are the only people shipping a well-supported mainstream Linux distro in their netbook IIRC (good onya Dell, btw!)

The netbooks are a great opportunity, they're also a horrendous risk, since they'll be many people's first Linux experience. I'm hoping the Ubuntu/Fedora/PCLOS folks are moving heaven and earth to get their distros onto these devices.

[smoker]

will the average joe know this is a linux innovation though? seems most of the oems are customising splashtop and calling it anything but 'linux'. i just hope that those that buy vista installed laptops, and appreciate the faster boot times, will put credit where its due, and not mistakenly think this is anything to do with ms!

[Half-Left]

I'm not sure this is good for the consumer. Linux is great for us techies, but there's alot of mainstream software that wont run on Linux. Alot of the Linux 'equivilent' software packages are ok but many of them aren't pretty enough yet.

Thanks, you just made all of them thousands of packages and great software useless because you think they will need "mainstream" software.

Hello....., the whole idea is not to get people onto mainstream software in the first place, what they dont know they won't use and use something they will get accustomed to.

[SunnyRabbiera]

If only they'd start shipping them with good distros! Dell are the only people shipping a well-supported mainstream Linux distro in their netbook IIRC (good onya Dell, btw!)

The netbooks are a great opportunity, they're also a horrendous risk, since they'll be many people's first Linux experience. I'm hoping the Ubuntu/Fedora/PCLOS folks are moving heaven and earth to get their distros onto these devices.

Well both Toshiba and HP have started to use Ubuntu too

[Paqman]

will the average joe know this is a linux innovation though?

Does it matter? If Linux has made their life better, that's a win for us. Anybody who's willing to make the switch will probably have the curiosity to find out anyway.

I quite like the idea of Linux sneaking itself onto more devices ninja-style. By the time it starts to seep into public awareness we'll already be everywhere! Mwahahaahaa!!!

(Mind you, we've actually got them pretty surrounded already. It's just those stubborn PCs we struggle to assimilate...)

[Paqman]

Well both Toshiba and HP have started to use Ubuntu too

Excellent news. Resistance is futile!

[hanzomon4]

not sold on the preboot env as an in to widespread Linux adoption. Linux is ready to be put out into the wild tech wise, but it lacks the polish that screams high value. In other words Linux needs a Don King, a hype man/master sellsmen who can make the case to software/hardware makers and consumers that Linux is safe and worthwile. It needs some sexy that it just does not have. Linux is easy to use, itssss perdy, and powerful. Apple delivered a great package built on top of similar bones. I would say that Ubuntu is right up there with OS X(but really you wouldn't know that by looking at the ugly default theme). We just suck at delivering a message beyond "free" and windows sucks(it doesn't). Real people just don't know what to make of it, so they think windows and Linux sucks at playing windows.... Isn't that why most people think Linux netbooks are being returned like a funky disease nobody wants?

[ronnielsen1]

I'm not sure this is good for the consumer. Linux is great for us techies,
I'm not a techie and I think there's a lot of non-techies using linux. In fact, I taught myself linux in 2004 (didn't know anyone using it) because I was fed up with viruses and malware. I've put together p3's with linux for non-techies and they seem to be doing alright.

[gn2]

Well both Toshiba and HP have started to use Ubuntu too

Good for them!

Better for Toshiba going for straight Ubuntu, HP has given it a disguise I believe Hp Linux "Experience" (http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/29/hps-new-mini-1000-and-mie-linux-make-netbooks-fun-again/)?

As more manufacturers realise that they don't have to pay the Microsoft tax any more, they are almost certain to stop paying.

[barbedsaber]

what, again

[Paqman]

As more manufacturers realise that they don't have to pay the Microsoft tax any more, they are almost certain to stop paying.

If only.

Actually what has happened with the netbooks is that the first ones onto the market were mostly Linux. The manufacturers were met with a tidal wave of demand for Windows, which is why Microsoft got on board and started offering XP.

The manufacturers will ship whatever the market wants. At the moment there is only a limited demand for Linux.

[Canis familiaris]

That's expected. Splashtop would be preloaded in almost all motherboards so there would be Linux in almost every computer. However it wouldn't affect us and TBH I don't care for market share...

[LaRoza]

I think Linux distros (especially ones like Ubuntu as made by Dell) are good for consumers. They "just work". One should get the OS that is best suited for the apps they need. Windows has a lot of games and commercial apps for it, but how many people need such specialty software?

Windows itself comes with nothing, and people either use free software, pirated software, or software they buy. The most bought seems to be Office, which the average person doesn't need and OpenOffice or even just Abiword would be all they need. Plus, there is the security. With Linux, you don't have to compensate for a poorly designed system.

[Icehuck]

Its cool that Linux will out ship Windows next year, but that means more proprietary software. Lately, I've started to really loathe proprietary software. So I'm starting to think this will cause open source to not be a focus.

[toupeiro]

***deleted***

Answered my own question. :-D

[Sealbhach]

will the average joe know this is a linux innovation though?

I think a good many average users will. Or at least, over time they will become aware that this is not a Microsoft innovation. We know how much they love to "lead innovation" but I don't think they'll get away with taking the credit for this. I think many users will be curious enough to find out exactly what the heck can boot so fast.


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